Locking-mechanism for breakdown firearms



00%. 12, 1937. L. S TIENNON LOCKING MECHANISM FOR BREAKDOWN FIREARMSFiled June 20, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q wm W WW am s W Z w Z W Qw n h] nO. H U@ 3% MM Wu Q f a w y 0 mi Q a w A? N53 mm YRNW IIIHIIH u NJ Oct.12, 1937. STIENNON 5,

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR BREAKDOWN FIREARMS Filed June 20, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet 2 /rwerzior I $021215 (5159727102? Dec, j Fay L. ParJeZZ4077277 Patented Get. 12, 1937 UNETED STAES FATENT OFFICELOCKING-MECHANISM FOR BREAKDOWN FIREARMS Application June 20, 1935,Serial No. 27,519

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvement in break down firearms, that is tosay, that class of firearms in which a barrel-unit and a butt-unit arehinged together for relative pivotal movement.

More particularly, the present invention relates to the mechanism bymeans of which the two units of the firearm above referred to are heldagainst relative pivotal movement.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a breakdownfirearm with a superior locking-mechanism characterized by simplicity,ruggedness and economy of manufacture.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superiorlocking-mechanism for breakdown firearms which will accommodate itselfto variations of manufacture and assembly.

A further object is to provide a superior locking-mechanism in which alocking-bolt carried by one of the relatively-pivoted units of thefirearm would automatically accommodate itself to variations in thelocking-abutment of the complementary pivotal member of the firearm.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to thoseskilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings and appended claims, the present inventionincludes all features disclosed therein which are novel over the priorart.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a broken view partly in side elevation and partly in verticalsection of a so-called overand-under double-barreled shotgun in whichthe present invention is embodied, many parts not directly related tothe present invention being omitted;

Fig. 2 is a broken top view thereof with the retaining-cap removed;

Fig. 3 is a broken horizontal sectional view taken on the line 33 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a broken vertical sectional View taken on the line i-4 of Fig.1;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig.6 is a perspective view showing the operating-lever, coupling-head,locking-bolts and associated parts in related positions, looking mainlytoward the under-side thereof;

Fig. '7 is a perspective View of the two complementary locking-bolts andthe coupling-head, looking mainly toward the under-side thereof andshown as separated for clarity of illustration;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the operatinglever looking mainly towardthe under-side thereof and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of thethrust-stud.

The particular multiple-barrel firearm herein chosen-for theillustration of the present invention is of that class commonly referredto as over-and-under firearms, in which the barrels are arranged oneover another. The firearm in question includes a butt-unit and abarrel-unit pivoted together, as is usual in breakdown firearms.

The butt-unit comprises in the main a frame generally designated by thenumeral 20, and a buttstock 2i rigidly secured to the rear end of thesaid frame. The barrel-unit above referred to comprises in the main anupper barrel 22, a lower barrel 23 and a forestock 24, which latter isprovided with a forestock-shoe 25 bearing against thecylindrically-contoured forward end 2% of the frame 20 in the usualmanner of breakdown firearms. The barrel-unit may be rocked with respectto the butt-unit from the position in which it is shown by full lines inFig. 1 to the position in which it is indicated by broken lines in thesame figure, and vice versa. The rocking movement referred to takesplace about a pivotpin 21 carried by the frame 20and arrangedconcentrically with respect to the cylindrically-contoured forward end26-of the said frame.

The frame 20 is hollowed out, so to speak, to provide a chamber 28immediately to the rear of its standing-breech 29 and has rearwardlyprojecting from its respective upper and lower walls a pair ofsubstantially-parallel spaced-apart tangs 30 and 3| which are connectedtogether at their rear ends by a substantially-vertical tiebar 32.

Directly below its forwardly-facing standingbreech 29, the frame-20 isprovided with a bottom passage 33 normally closed by a removablecoverplate or closure 34 through which various machining operations maybe carried on within the interior of the chamber 28 of the frame priorto the installation of the said cover-plate 34, and

through which various features of the mechanism may be introduced,removed or adjusted.

Extending through the standing-breech 29and through portions of therespective opposite sidewalls 3535 of the said frame 2!] is a pair oflongitudinal guide-ways 36-36 respectively receivingcylindrically-contoured locking-bolts 31 and 38, each of which hasreciprocating movement and capacity for slight turning movement in theparticular one of the bearing-passages 36 in which it is mounted.

The forward end of each of the guide-ways 36 intersects avertically-extending arcuate notch or 769 555 3.9, one of which isformed on each of the frame 20, and having an upstanding finger-piecerespective opposite sides of the transverse center line of the gunstructure, as indicated particularly well in Fig. 5. Normally projectinginto the recesses or notches 39, just referred to, are looking-lugs484U, rearwardly projecting from the barrel-unit of'which the upper andlower barrels 22 and 23 constitute the main features. The

upper surfaces of the locking-lugs 4048 are inclined slightly downwardlyand rearwardly for engagement respectively byl'the similarly-slopingunder-faces 4l--4| of locking-noses 4242 of the said locking-bolts 3Tand38.. 7

Adjacent its rear end, the locking-bolt 31 is formed with aninwardly-opening cylindrical socket 43 receiving, with freedom forslight relative movement in all directions, a cylindricallycontouredtrunnion-like projection 44 offsetting laterally from a coupling-slide45. The opposite V slight rocking movement, in aguide-passage 49 formedin a bridge-piece 58 extending vertically between the respective upperand lower tangs 30 and 3| of .the frame 20, The rear end of theguide-tail 48 of the coupling-slide is adapted to engage with andrearwardly shift a slide-bar 5| which is adapted to rearwardly shift amanually-operable safety-slide 52 located upon the upper surface of theupper tang 38 and having a stem 53 extending inwardly through a passage54 in the saidtang and coupled in any suitable manner .to the rearportion of the slide-bar 5| before referred to. l

The coupling-slide 45 is also provided with a laterally-openingcoupling+notch 55 receiving a coupling-pin 56 depending from the underside of the head 5! of an operating-lever 51 through a clearance-passage51 in the top wall of the 58 overlying the upper tang 30 of the frame20.

The head 57 at the forward portion of the operating-lever 51 is locatedin a rearwardly-opening recess 59 formed in the frame 20 just to therear 3 of the standing-breech 29 thereof as indicated particularly wellin Figs. 1 and 2. The said recess 59 is surrounded on its front and sideportions by a substantially-semi-circular upwardly-facing seat 60,against which rests a retaining-cap 6| also engaging with the upper faceof the head 51 of the operating-lever5l and retained in place by 'meansof a screw BZeXtending upwardly thereinto, as indicated in'Fig. 1.Adjacent-its right side, the head 5'! of the operating-lever 51 isprovided with a depending cylindrically-contoured fulcrum-pin T63turning in a suitable socket 64 formed in theupper wall of the frame 20.

At a point adjacent the end wall of its couplingnotch 55, thecoupling-head 45 is provided with a vertical socket 65 receiving, withfreedom for turning movement, the cylindrical shank 56 of a thrust-stud61 having a horizontal passage 68" through its head portion 69. Bearingin the passage 68 of the thrust-stud 61, just referred to, is theforward end of a guide-rod 10 having'a rigid annular spring-seat 1|adjacent its rear end, against the forward face of which a spring '12seats. The forward end of the spring 12 just referred to bears againstthe rear face of the head 69 of the thrust-stud 61 and exerts a constanteffort to move the same forwardly, and hence to bodily shift thecoupling-head 45 forwardly, to-

gether with its complementary locking-bolts 31 and 38. The rear end 13of the guide-rod 10 is pointed and constantly urged by the spring 12into a forwardly-facing shallow socket 14 formed in the forward face ofthe bridge-piece 50.

It may here be noted that the spring 12, acting through the thrust-stud61, not only urges the coupling-head 45 forwardly, but, also, urges theforward end of. the same upwardly toward the under-surface of theupper-wall of the frame 28.

In assembling the locking mechanism prior to the installation of theremovable bridge-piece 50, both locking-bolts 31 and 38 may be insertedin their respective guide-ways 3635, with the locking-bolt 31 turned soas to face its cylindrical socket, 43robliquely downwardly. The trunnion44 of the coupling-slide 45 may now be inserted into the socket 43 andthe said slide then swung upwardly with the locking-bolt 3! as a centerto enter the trunnion 46 into the downwardly-andinwardly-opening socket41 in the locking-bolt 38. After the bridge-piece thrust-stud 6T,guide-rod 'Hland spring 12 have been installed, the forward end of thecoupling-slide 45 will be urged upwardly, as well as forwardly, whilethe rear portion of the said coupling-slide will be supported by theriding of its guide-tail 48 in the guide-passage 49 in the saidbridge-piece 50.

When the finger-piece 58 of the operatinglever 5'! is swung from left toright into the position in which it is indicated by broken lines in Fig.2, such movement will take place about the fulcrum-pin 53, and thecoupling-pin 56 of the said lever will act against the rear wall of thecoupling-notch of the coupling-slide 45 and force the same rear'wardlyagainst the yielding counter-urge of the spring 12.

The rearward movement of the coupling-slide '45, as above described,will, in turn, effect,

through the intermediary of the trunnions 44 and 48', the simultaneousrearward movement of the locking-bolts 31 and'38, and, hence, Withdrawthe respective locking-noses 4242 of the said bolts from engagement withand out of the path of the complementary locking-lugs 4040 of thebarrel- .unit. The barrel-unit may now be swung with reference to thebutt-unit into the position in which it is indicated by broken lines inFig. 1.

When the barrel-unit is again restored to its normal position, asindicated by full lines in Fig. 1, and the locking-bolts 31 and 38released for forward travel, the respective locking-noses 42-42 thereofwill be respectively reengaged with the locking-lugs 40-40 of thebarrel-unit for holding the latter firmly in position for the firing ofthe arm. a

By means of the construction above described, the respectivelocking-bolts 31 and 38 may turn about their longitudinal axes toautomatically causerthe under-faces 4! of their respective locking-noses4242 to make a satisfactory surface engagement with the upper-surfacesof the re- 7 spective locking-lugs 40 of the barrel-unit. Thisindependent automatic adjusting movement of the lockihg-bolts 31 and 38compensates for variations in manufacture and adjustment, and ispermitted by reason of the fact that the trunnions 44 and 46 fit therespective sockets 43 and 4'! with a sufiicient degree of freedom.

Furthermore, by reason of the freedom for relative movement of thelocking-bolts '31 and 38' with respect to each other and with respect tothe coupling-slide 45, other variations in manufacture are alsocompensated for. For instance, should the guideways 3B-36 in theframestructure not be in absolute parallelism, no binding action wouldoccur.

As an incident to the rearward travel of the coupling-slide 45, theguide-tail 48 of the latter will be forced against the forward end ofthe slide-bar 5| with the effect of also moving the same rearwardly,together with the safety-slide 52 and other parts coupled thereto.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than thoseherein set forth Without departing from the spirit and essentialcharacteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments aretherefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalencyrange of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a locking mechanism for breakdown firearms, the combination with alocking-bolt mounted in the firearm-structure with capacity for bothreciprocation and turning movement therein about its longitudinal axis;spring-means urging the said locking-bolt into its locking position; apivoted manual operating-member for retracting the said locking-bolt;and a reciprocating coupling-member connected to the said manualoperating-member for being moved thereby and loosely connected to thesaid lockingbolt in such manner as to permit the said locking-bolt toturn about its longitudinal axis with respect thereto to accommodateitself to a member to be locked.

2. In a locking mechanism for breakdown firearms, the combination with alocking-bolt mounted in the firearm-structure with capacity for bothreciprocation and turning movement therein about its longitudinal axis;spring-means urging the said locking-bolt into its locking position; apivoted manual operating-member for retracting the said locking-bolt;and a reciprocating coupling-member loosely connected to the said manualoperating-member for being moved thereby and also loosely connected bymeans of interengaging socket-and-trunnion means to the saidlocking-bolt in such manner as to permit the saidlocking-bolt to turnabout its own longitudinal axis with respect thereto to accommodateitself to a member to be locked.

3. In a locking-mechanism for breakdown firearms, the combination with apair of lockingbolts mounted in the firearm structure with capacity forboth reciprocation and independent turning movement therein; each of thesaid locking-bolts being provided with a socket, one of least of whichis of downwardly-opening notchlike form; a coupling-member connected tothe said manual operating-member for being moved thereby and providedwith two trunnions respectively entering the sockets in the saidlockingbolts to connect the same to the said couplingmember foroperation by the said manual operating-member; and spring-meansconstructed and arranged to urge the said coupling-member forwardly andto urge the same upwardly to maintain one of its trunnions in thedownwardlyopening socket of one of the said locking-bolts.

4. In a locking-mechanism for multiple-barrel breakdown firearms, thecombination with a pair of spaced-apart cylindrical locking-bolts, eachof which is mounted in the firearm structure with capacity for turningmovement about its longitudinal axis and longitudinal reciprocation; acoupling-member extending between and loosely coupled to each of thesaid locking-bolts; and a manual operating-member connected to the saidcoupling-member intermediate the points of connection of the latter withthe said locking-bolts.

5. In a locking-mechanism for multiple-barrel breakdown firearms, thecombination with a pair of spaced-apart cylindrical locking-bolts, eachof which is mounted in the firearm structure with capacity for turningmovement about its longitudinal axis and longitudinal reciprocation; acoupling-member extending between and loosely coupled to each of thesaid locking-bolts; a manual operating-member connected to the saidcoupling-member intermediate the points of connection of the latter withthe said locking-bolts; and spring-means urging the said coupling-memberforwardly, and through the latter simultaneously urging both of the saidcylindrical locking-bolts forwardly. 7

ROY L. PARSELL,

Administrator of the Estate of Louis Stiennon,

Deceased.

